Home on the Ranch: Unexpected Daddy

by Pamela Britton

  She met his gaze, and there was such a look of sadness in his eyes it started the tears flowing again.

  “I tried telling my caseworker, but I was so ashamed I couldn’t get the words out. In hindsight, I should have gone to a hospital, filed a police report, but I was young and stupid, and I kept thinking sooner or later my foster parents would believe me. I grew depressed. I thought about taking my own life. Nobody noticed how depressed I’d become, or maybe they didn’t want to notice, but to this day I don’t understand how my caseworker couldn’t tell something was going on. I know she was busy and probably overworked like we all are, but she didn’t notice. Nobody cared.”

  “I care.”

  “I know you do. And I survived, Maverick. I don’t know how I did it, but I survived. I put extra locks on my door. I made sure I was never alone with Rodney again. The minute I was eighteen I was out of there, and the thing of it was, I heard a couple years ago that Rodney had been arrested for attempted rape, and I thought, at last...at last my foster parents will know I was telling the truth all those years ago. But they bailed him out of jail, hired an expensive lawyer to defend him. They’re just so blind.”

  “Shh,” he said. “Just shh.”

  She started crying again, hadn’t realized the tears were falling until he wiped one away.

  “Those people don’t deserve to call themselves parents.” He kissed the top of her head. “They should be brought up on charges of child abuse.”

  “I know, right? Unfortunately, the statute of limitations has expired. I keep telling myself that one day they’ll pay for their blindness, but I’ve had to let go of my anger and my need for revenge. I focus on my job and the children I’m helping, and I do everything in my power to make sure they know that I’ll always be there for them.”

  “Of course you will.” He kept stroking her head and it felt so good. Being in his arms was a comfort she’d never experienced before. “You’re the most remarkable woman I’ve ever met.”

  He kissed her head again, and when she finally relaxed enough to fall asleep, it was the first time in her life she’d felt safe and content and...loved.

  They said their goodbyes the next morning and she wondered if this would be their new routine. She’d spend the night, and in the morning he’d head out to take care of his ranch duties after dropping Olivia off, and she’d drive into the office to face another busy day. Only this morning she wasn’t headed into work. Well, she was, but she was having a breakfast meeting with Mr. Rocha at the local coffee shop to discuss doing another Fostering Hope event, this one in a different city.

  “Charlotte,” he said, standing when he spotted her walking toward him. “Have a seat,” he said after shaking her hand.

  She liked her regional director. As a man in a predominately female-dominated industry, he’d always proved to be kind and thoughtful. He’d gotten grayer since he’d become her boss, she noticed, and she wondered if he pulled some of the same hours she did.

  “Thanks for meeting with me,” he said.

  They both ordered, but Charlotte’s appetite had faded when she’d spotted the look on Mr. Rocha’s face. He seemed more serious than usual. Or maybe it was just the contrast between now and when she’d last seen him at the party. He’d been all smiles then.

  “Charlotte, I asked you here this morning to discuss a promotion.”

  A promotion?

  “Really?” she said, unable to hide her surprise. “That’s great.”

  “As you know, we’re really pleased with the success of Fostering Hope. That’s part of why we’re here. One of the pieces that aired was seen by someone at the state office. They were impressed, even more so when they heard about the results and how well you’ve done here in Via Del Caballo since you’ve been hired. You brought in what—over a dozen potential foster parents? That’s pretty amazing.”

  She smiled up at the waitress who brought her an orange juice before saying, “Yes, but I really didn’t have a whole lot to do with planning the event. That was all Crystal Gillian. She was amazing to work with.”

  “We know.” He smiled, taking a sip of his coffee. “And we’ve sent Mrs. Gillian a personal note of thanks. The media traction we’ve received was an added bonus. That young couple you recruited were great on camera. Their interview really tugged at the heartstrings.”

  “I was just happy to get them on board. I think they’re going to make great foster parents.”

  “And that’s what you do so well. Pull people out of thin air. Like Maverick Gillian.”

  “Me?”

  “We’d like to offer you a regional director’s position, Charlotte. Your work in Via Del Caballo has been outstanding and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.”

  If he’d told her she’d just won the lottery she couldn’t have been more surprised. A promotion.

  “It would require relocating, of course, but we discussed that potential when we first hired you and I seem to recall you were okay with that.”

  “Yes,” she said, her voice sounding hoarse even to her own ears. Charlotte cleared her throat. They had discussed her willingness to leave Via Del Caballo. But that was before...

  Maverick.

  “Well, good,” Mr. Rocha said. “The job’s in San Jose. Your salary would increase, of course, and you’d be managing the entire Bay Area. It’s a huge promotion and we hope you’ll consider it.”

  “When would you need to know?”

  He shrugged. “Sooner rather than later, although I’m surprised. I thought you’d leap at the chance.”

  “I’m flattered, of course, but I’d want to think about it. I’m happy here in Via Del Caballo.”

  Happy with Maverick.

  “No, no. I understand.”

  They discussed what the transition would look like, including housing and her job duties, but deep inside Charlotte’s head spun. Regional director. A bigger city. A chance to help more kids than she’d ever dreamed possible. Her boss was right. A year ago she’d have leaped at the chance, but now...

  Maverick sensed her mood when she arrived at his place later that night. He’d cooked for her again, as he always did, his ability to time her arrival with putting dinner on the table something she marveled at. Tonight he’d made her and Olivia some kind of pasta salad, but she wasn’t hungry, which he instantly noted.

  “Bad day at work?” he asked.

  “No, actually. It was good.” She took a deep breath, smiled when she caught sight of Olivia stuffing a handful of bowtie pasta in her mouth. “I got offered a promotion. Regional director.”

  “Wow,” he said, taking a bite of food. “That’s great.”

  Was it? It didn’t feel great.

  She tried to eat, ended up pushing food around her plate.

  “What’s the matter?”

  She gave up trying to eat and set her fork down. “The position is out of the Bay Area.”

  It took him a second to register the words, but she saw the exact moment the implication of what she’d just said hit him because his eyebrows shot up just before his whole face went slack.

  “But you can work remotely, right? Like out of your office?”

  Even Olivia had stopped eating, seeming to sense the mood in the room. She stared between the two adults.

  “Well, no,” she said, and she could hear the breathlessness of her own voice. “This would require me to move.”

  Chapter 20

  She’d blindsided him.

  “Move?”

  She nodded, and she wouldn’t look him in the eyes. That more than anything told him how utterly serious she was.

  “When?” he asked.

  “Soon.” She sat up a little straighter in her chair, and he saw the way her chest expanded when she took a deep breath. “They want an answer right away. Apparently, there’s another person in the wings if I decline.”<
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  He pushed his plate away. “And are you?”

  Her gaze hooked his own. “Am I what?”

  “Are you going to take it?”

  She went back to looking at her plate of food again. He supposed that was answer enough. He put his hands in his lap because they’d begun to shake. What he wanted to do was shoot up from the table and tell her no. She couldn’t leave. He’d only just started to break through to her. Last night, after they’d made love, when she’d finally told him what had happened all those years ago, he’d felt something click inside of him, something that had made him think...

  “Don’t go.”

  She glanced up again, and he could see the pain in her eyes. He knew she could tell her decision was killing him inside.

  “I have to.”

  “No. You don’t.”

  “Maverick, I do.” Her smile was bittersweet. “Don’t you get it? This is what I’ve been working for my entire life. At a regional level I’ll be able to help hundreds of kids. I would be in a position to help children like me, kids who don’t have an advocate, kids who are silently crying out for help and who need someone like me, someone that can see.”

  His fingernails dug into the flesh of his palms. He found himself staring at his hands as if he could make the pain stop by looking down at it, except he realized the pain he felt came from his heart.

  “What about Olivia?”

  The little girl looked at him when she heard her name. She smiled. “Daddy.”

  Charlotte smiled, too, but her grin was no longer bittersweet; it was resigned. “She’ll be fine.”

  “Finish your dinner,” he told the little girl. From somewhere deep inside he mustered up his own smile, one meant to defuse the tension Olivia seemed to sense in the air. “Go on.”

  They both watched as Olivia picked up her spork, getting more of the pasta salad on the floor than in her mouth. He should help her eat except he couldn’t seem to move.

  “Maybe it’s better this way,” he heard Charlotte say.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Maybe it’s better that I leave now before things get too...”

  Serious.

  She didn’t need to finish the sentence, and he wanted to yell that things were already serious. That she’d touched him with her tearful story of her childhood and her sudden attachment to his dog and her capacity to love children that weren’t even her own.

  “So that’s it?” he asked. “You’re telling me it’s over? You’re not even going to try and make a long-distance relationship work?”

  It was impossible to pinpoint all the emotions in her eyes. Sadness. Resignation. Maybe even disappointment. In him? Why? Because he didn’t just clap her on the back and say “see ya”?

  “Maverick, we both know this would never have worked out.”

  Did they? That was news to him. He’d thought they were working through her issues. He’d thought... Damn it. He’d thought they might be falling in love.

  “You don’t want to be involved with a workaholic like me. Right now it’s all new and exciting and wonderful, but sooner or later my late nights and crazy weekends would get to you.”

  “You don’t know that. How could you? You’ve never even been in a relationship before.”

  She winced and he knew his words had stung, but he couldn’t seem to help himself.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m upset because I don’t agree with you. I think what we have here is pretty special, and I just can’t believe you’re willing to walk away.”

  She leaned forward. “I was always willing to walk away,” she said. “My kids are my first priority. They’re the relationships I’m in. My job is my married life. I give it my all. There’s no room for anything else.”

  There was, he wanted to say. She was wrong.

  “I should probably go.”

  “No, stay.” He shook his head. “Let’s talk it out. I don’t want you leaving when you’re hurt and upset.”

  She stood. “What else is there to talk about, Maverick? I’m going to take it.”

  “But I’m falling in love with you.”

  The look in her eyes grew sad. “No, you’re not. You’re confusing love with pity.”

  “You’re wrong,” he said.

  “Then why don’t you move up to the Bay Area with me.”

  His mouth dropped open. “You know I can’t do that.”

  “How is that any different than what you’re asking of me?”

  “Because it is.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “It’s not.” She moved forward. “Goodbye, Maverick.”

  “Charlotte, wait.”

  Olivia started to cry. He wanted to follow Charlotte out the door, but he couldn’t leave Olivia in distress. By the time he got Olivia out of her booster seat and to the front door, Charlotte was already in her car.

  She didn’t even wave when she drove away.

  * * *

  “Why, you look like your best friend died,” his aunt said the next morning. Frankly, he didn’t remember driving to her house.

  “Aunnie,” Olivia cried, holding out her arms.

  “Come here, sweetheart,” Aunt Crystal said with a wide grin. “Look at you in your pretty pink shirt. So cute.”

  He couldn’t muster a smile. His aunt had clearly noticed. She motioned for him to follow her inside, and even though he was supposed to be dropping Olivia off so he and Flynn could go gather cows, he found himself doing as she asked. Truth be told, he kind of needed to unload on someone.

  “Go on and play with your house,” Crystal told Olivia, setting the child down. The little girl immediately ambled toward the giant dollhouse shared by all the Gillian kids over the years. It was taller than she was and packed with tiny pieces of furniture, and just looking at it brought back childhood memories. Now all the Gillian grandkids played with it. Crystal headed for the couch nearby, one set beneath a wide picture window.

  “Okay, what happened?” she asked, settling down and patting an open spot next to her.

  It couldn’t be a secret he’d been seeing Charlotte. She had to drive right beneath everyone when she came to his house, something his family was sure to have noticed.

  “She dumped me.”

  She didn’t seem surprised by the news. To his absolute shock, she seemed amused.

  “Of course she did.”

  “Ouch, Auntie. That’s harsh.”

  She tipped her eyes toward heaven and shook her head. “Maverick, you’re like my own kid. I’ve seen you with all types of women, but I’ve never seen you with a woman like Charlotte. What was it? Things moving too fast? Did you scare her?”

  He huffed out a breath of dismay. “She was offered a job, one in a different town.”

  “Well, that’s not surprising.”

  “No?”

  “She’s good at what she does.”

  Too good.

  “I knew you were developing feelings for her, you know.”

  Really? He hadn’t known how he’d felt until she’d walked out his front door.

  “Clearly those feelings weren’t reciprocated.”

  “But I think they were.”

  “She left.”

  “Because it’s hard for her to trust.”

  He wasn’t sure how much about Charlotte’s past Charlotte had told his aunt, but it must have been enough because her gaze held sadness and understanding.

  “She’s had to overcome a lot, you know. Women like that, well, it takes a lot for them to believe in love.”

  Love?

  He stared at his hands. “I poured my heart out to her, Auntie.”

  “She’ll come around.”

  He wished he believed that. But his aunt hadn’t seen the look in her eyes.

  He left for work shortly after,
thinking maybe he just needed to give Charlotte time. She wasn’t leaving right away. Maybe she’d come around to his way of thinking.

  The one bright spot in Maverick’s week was a call he received from someone in Charlotte’s office that Olivia’s adoption would be finalized in court that week. He thought for sure the news might draw Charlotte out, but he didn’t see or hear from her, and as the court date approached, he began to wonder if maybe he should try to call her. But just what, exactly, would he say?

  The day of the proceedings, though, she was there. He didn’t know if it was official business that brought her to court that morning, but as he went through the final adoption process, Olivia in his arms as he answered questions and visited with the judge in private chambers, it was hard not to keep glancing at her. She stood behind the judge, and he realized why she was there when they were almost done and the judge motioned her over. She had to sign off on the whole deal. Once she did the judge smiled at everyone around him, picking up his gavel and proclaiming Olivia his daughter.

  “Congratulations, Maverick,” said his aunt, tears in her eyes. She bent and kissed the top of Olivia’s head.

  His uncle clapped him on the back and then he was face-to-face with his dad. Throughout this whole process his dad had been surprisingly quiet. Maverick had begun to wonder if he disapproved, but as he looked into his dad’s eyes, he realized he didn’t.

  “Son,” Reese said softly, “I’m proud of you.” He glanced down at Olivia. “This little girl has herself a helluva father.”

  He had to look down at Olivia because for some reason the words touched him in a way he hadn’t expected. He supposed he’d always sought his dad’s approval. He never would have thought adopting a child would have given it to him.

  His dad kissed the top of Olivia’s head, too. “Your mom would be proud.”